Public Health Careers: The World Needs You

Karen Elliott, senior instructor and public health undergraduate internship coordinator in the College of Health at Oregon State University, presents many career paths available to those who have a background rooted in public health or are interested in embarking on the path to a medical degree.
This virtual event is a part of the Public Health Insider webcast series, hosted by the OSU Alumni Association and OSU Foundation in collaboration with the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences and the OSU Center for Health Innovation.
Also watch
Public Health 101
Viktor Bovbjerg, a professor in the College of Health at Oregon State University, discusses the basic elements of public health that influence our lives, our environment and response in times of crisis.
• Public Health 101
College of Health
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[@Simon_boakye]

Great! I am doing my undergraduate degree in public health(disease control). And I am happy I am in the right field. I really have passion for public health. I will focus on epidemiology when time come for me to do my masters degree.

[@wilhels.7986]

Very informative. Thanks for sharing!

[@MsSwimmer72]

Dr. Elliott is the best!!!

[@oregonstatehealth]

We agree!

[@blackheartgaming6121]

I'm going in public health this year in the fall as soon as I can get the college shots

[@nayomishiden5742]

Thank you 👏🏽

[@gizemdenizbbuyuksoy5273]

Thank you for great presentation. I would like to ask a question. Privalization on health and for-profit approaches are more common araound the world. How do public health workers deal with commercialization of health around the world, in particular for vulnerable populations?

[@oregonstatehealth]

Thanks for your patience, here is Karen's response: "​There are some great nonprofits and united efforts that are working hard to ensure equity on a global level, particularly with vulnerable populations, below are a few links with more information! publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/health-nonprofits-public-health/ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6204007/ sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2019posts/how-global-health%20work-can-help-transform-US-health-care-system.html"

[@masongtarkang791]

Thank you. I got an MPH in 2009 but I never used it. I'd like to put it to use. I didn't really gather field experience and it seems entry level jobs really pay low. What would you recommend? I live in Delaware.

[@oregonstatehealth]

Hi Masong, here are some tips from Karen herself! "That is wonderful you have an MPH! I would say to try to pick up some field experience or additional skills that more mid-level jobs are looking for. You could do a part-time internship or practicum with either a health department or nonprofit, depending on your interests. Many organizations are providing excellent remote internships and that way it could be flexible with your schedule to fit in. You could also pick up either certifications or skills that you notice in mid-level job postings. Here is a great website that goes through different public health certifications. www.publichealthdegrees.org/resources/public-health-certifications/ Many of them just require that you have taken public health coursework and then you study for an exam and take it and once you pass it, you can put the credentials behind your name and certifications can replace work/field experience. The most common one is Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and many health departments and hospitals look for that certification. If cost is an issue, I would suggest the internships and practicums and lookup certifications you are eligible to take such as CHES, and then on your resume, put CHES eligible, meaning if you got the job, you would take it, and often organizations will pay!"

[@jwalaprem2671]

Thank You....if you dont mind....plz give outline about modelling in public health ?...its career opportunities ....etc(I hpd to saw a pg course regarding msc Modelling in Public Health)

[@oregonstatehealth]

Thanks for your patience as we reached out to Karen for a direct response. Here is what she suggests: "Yes, absolutely! There are universities and colleges that offer specific MPH concentrations in public health modeling. I provided the link below for the program at Yale, it outlines the courses. You could also choose an emphasis in epidemiology or biostatistics, and receive training in modeling, and then go on to become an epidemiologist, that would do modeling either at a health department or in a hospital. Below are the links to the description of an epidemiologist and our MPH options in epidemiology and biostatistics, with outlines of the coursework. ​ysph.yale.edu/education/degrees/mph/modeling/ www.publichealthonline.org/epidemiology/ health.oregonstate.edu/epi/mph health.oregonstate.edu/biostatistics/mph"

[@jwalaprem2671]

@@oregonstatehealth Thank You so much

[@rebelhenz]

Can you be a doctor with this degree or Vice versa? I have a honours in science, but I’m still intrigued by the course?

[@oregonstatehealth]

Thanks for your comment! Here is Karen's response: "In terms of the public health degree, you could find a dual degree program that allows you to obtain a MD and MPH at the same time. This is a great option to go to medical school to become a doctor and earn a Master's in Public Health at the same time! Below is a link to schools that offer this dual program! students-residents.aamc.org/applying-dual-degree-programs/directory-md-mph-educational-opportunities"

[@IsmailKhan-js5ki]

... i am Electronic Graduate from 2014 batch and i want to pursue health care career . Please suggest... can i do direct master or i have to start from Bachelor's degree...i am asking bcoz i have Bachelor's degrees already

[@oregonstatehealth]

Hi Ismail, check out our website health.oregonstate.edu to learn more about our degree options.

[@aiswaryaramesh5857]

I'm a life sciences graduated student ...can I apply For this course?

[@oregonstatehealth]

Hi there! Thanks for your patience as we sent this off to Karen to get a response. Here is what she says: "Great question! You can take public health classes as a post-baccalaureate student. The first step would be to make an appointment with an academic advisor. If you're enrolled at Oregon State, here is the link to schedule an appointment within our college! health.oregonstate.edu/advising/appointment

[@rushalibandari9516]

What’s the scope of masters in public health after Physiotherapy in Canada???

[@oregonstatehealth]

Hello! Thanks for your patience as we sent this off to Karen to get a response. Here is what she says: "Many clinical professionals decide to get a Master of Public Health (MPH), which is a great way to expand career opportunities and combine both the medical model and population/public health model. The College of Public Health and Human Sciences CPHHS at OSU offers a wonderful Public Health Practice MPH that is fully online. It works really well for professionals and can be done anywhere, and is flexible, since it is all online. The biggest factor with an online MPH program is to make sure the university/college is accredited, and the CPHHS is accredited! Here is the link to our MPH Public Health Practice degree: health.oregonstate.edu/academics/mph/online"

[@wolfyrx3888]

Hey,I have done MD in USA (basically I am from India) looking to do MHA .Any suggestions.?

[@oregonstatehealth]

Thanks for your comment! Here is Karen's response: "Yes, below is a link with the best MHA programs, if you choose to do a MHA program online, make sure it is accredited, and each school will have that information on their website. www.healthcare-management-degree.net/best/top-graduate-healthcare-management-degrees/"

[@Artwithzee]

By doing BPH can we become healthcare consultant?

[@oregonstatehealth]

Thanks for your patience! Here is Karen's answer: "​Yes, you can certainly start out as a healthcare consultant with a Bachelor's. To advance in this position you would need to go back at some point to get your Master's, below is a great link that provides a full description: www.topmastersinhealthcare.com/job-profiles/health-care-consultant/"

[@bukolaisijola9711]

What's the basic difference btw CHN and PHN. Thanks for the beautiful presentation

[@oregonstatehealth]

Hello! Thanks for your patience as we sent this off to Karen to get a response. Here is what she says: This is such a great question! The main difference is mostly in the work environment/location. "Public health nurses often work for the government and can be involved in many different system-level changes and work-related duties. The community health nurse works more directly within the community and with direct patient care. Aspen University has a great webpage that discusses the differences: www.aspen.edu/altitude/public-health-nurse-vs-community-health-nurse/"

[@Acvdsxbfz]

I only have a bachelors and I feel like I'm screwed

[@oregonstatehealth]

Hi Steven, here is some advice from Karen below! 'Many of my students have a bachelor's in public health and are able to find good jobs to start their career. There are some things you can do to help increase the likelihood of getting a good job in your field. First, you can always apply for paid internships, and they can often lead to full time jobs. Second, utilize university and colleges, including the one you graduated from. This year, in-person career fairs are happening on campuses again, and either attend the one where you graduated from, or, if you are in another city, look up the date of the career fair for the university/college close to you. College career fairs are filled with employers who are happy to provide advice, and they are also looking for students who are going to graduate or recent grads. If you go, print out copies of your resume, dress professionally and go to as many booths/tables that you can and talk with people. Many companies have gotten overwhelmed with email and technology can be hard to make yourself stand out. In-person informational interviews, job shadows are also valuable and can lead to jobs. Networking I would say would be the best advice I have, and creating a LinkedIn Profile, having others provide feedback on your resume, and see if you can pick up additional low or no cost trainings in your field. Coursera offers many free courses, and that includes Excel training, and Contact Tracing, then you can put that on your resume."

[@yonisxasan8548]

Hi I have graduated bachelor's of public health in 2019 in Ethiopia still I didn't get a job so how can I get a job or which masters degree is suitable for me in clinical area

[@oregonstatehealth]

Thanks for your patience, as we have a response from Karen: "Networking can be a great way to get a job with a Bachelor's, through LinkedIn, job shadowing, informational interviews and many recent grads will do paid internships, and companies often hire the interns once they are done. In terms of Master's Degrees in clinical areas, below is a link to some great options! www.mhaonline.com/blog/best-graduate-healthcare-degrees"

[@wikiy_y]

Doing MPH after MBBS...Is it worthy?

[@oregonstatehealth]

Hey there! Thanks for your patience, we sent this to Karen directly for a response. Here is what she said: "It really depends on your career goals. Since an MBBS is a medical/clinical degree, a MPH would be beneficial if you foresee yourself wanting to move in a direction that addresses population health and working with public health issues, perhaps in the community. Then it would be beneficial to have the public health training. I always recommend finding a professional, through online search or through a professional organization, that has the credentials you are thinking of and reaching out to ask them about their perspective."

[@wikiy_y]

@@oregonstatehealth thanks alot)